Haiku first came into prominence in the seventeenth century when Japan had cut itself off from the rest of the world. This period saw a cultural renaissance in Japan, not only in haiku, but in the arts of the puppet theatre, flower arrangement, woodblock print, and tea ceremony as well. During this time Matsuo Basho (1644–1694) raised the writing of haiku into a high art. His compositions remain a marvel for their freshness and depth:
a crow settles on a withered branch— autumn evening
coming along the mountain path
I am somehow moved
by these violets
On the Kidzone website there are two examples of "What am I?" haiku.
As noted on the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival page:
Haiku first came into prominence in the seventeenth century when Japan had cut itself off from the rest of the world. This period saw a cultural renaissance in Japan, not only in haiku, but in the arts of the puppet theatre, flower arrangement, woodblock print, and tea ceremony as well. During this time Matsuo Basho (1644–1694) raised the writing of haiku into a high art. His compositions remain a marvel for their freshness and depth:
a crow settles
on a withered branch—
autumn evening
coming along the mountain path
I am somehow moved
by these violets
This Haiku Poetry site has sixteen poems on one "Famous Haiku" page.